This invention relates to a mounting clip for joining siding panels. In one aspect, this invention relates to a mounting clip for mounting vinyl siding panels to each other. In another aspect, this invention relates to a clip for mounting the top siding row to the next to top siding row. In yet another aspect, this invention relates to a method for joining siding panels.
There are numerous reasons the building industry has had a preference for the use of vinyl siding. These reasons include, but are not restricted to, the fact that such siding has low wear and maintenance characteristics. Vinyl panels are generally extruded or formed into individual panels 12 feet long and 8 or 10 inches wide. Each panel is profiled to simulate one or more rows of the traditional lapped wooden siding and can even have a textured finish to complete the illusion of wooden siding. The panels are made with permanent coloring and with a variety of surface finishes all leading to the above mentioned low maintenance characteristics.
The rows of vinyl siding are traditionally installed with the panels in overlapping and/or interlocking rows starting from the bottom of the wall. Each panel has an inturned bottom butt which is received in a downwardly directed channel configuration of the upper butt of the adjacent panel. The panel used at the top of a section of wall can be either a specially formed panel or, more likely, a standard panel modified to remove at least the upper butt and what ever panel surface necessary to make a proper fit. The lower edge of this panel engages the butt of the upper most row of the siding and its upper edge is received under the bottom lip of a finish trim. This is where there has been a problem in the past in that these top out panels do not have the upper nail strip of the standard panels which cover the remainder of the wall. No vinyl panel, regardless of its configuration, can have nails driven through the face. This would clearly mar the finished appearance while preventing the relative movement of the panels which is necessary to accommodate for differences in expansion and contraction due to changes in ambient temperature conditions.
A clip to hold a panel above another panel, especially a clip to hold a topout panel above a next to top row panel, would be very desirable.